Located just minutes from iconic State Street in Santa Barbara, SBER™ Athlete Village is the starting point for your journey. You’ll join with hundreds of other athletes at Santa Barbara High School within the track and field stadium, an ironic setting for those about to experience the incredible wilderness that awaits them on the trails in Los Padres National Forest.
Your journey will be challenging, but extreme measures have been taken to provide ample support and ensure your safety. We can’t finish your journey for you, but we can help make it a safe and truly memorable one.
You’ll depart from the Athlete Village and immediately experience the best that world famous Santa Barbara has to offer. You’ll ease into your stride by running through parts of downtown Santa Barbara, past the historic Santa Barbara Mission and Rose Garden and through Mission Canyon to reach the front country trails.
Once you’ve reached the trails, you’ll embark on a well-marked, easy to navigate, out-and-back route comprised of dirt roads, trails and intermittent sections of paved road. Staffed and well-provisioned aid stations await you, complete with HAM communications to support you, your pacers and event staff.
The landmarks and tourist attractions that wowed you from the outset will quickly be outdone by breathtaking views you will encounter on the trails. Dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean highlight a course filled with unique topography, including oak savannas and deep canyons all set against the backdrop of one of the most magnificent coastlines in the world.
Your journey will be filled with views that take your breath away and a course that may have a similar effect. You’ll use both to motivate you to keep pushing until you return to the Athlete Village victorious.
A Word for the Marathon and Heavy Half Athletes:
We didn’t design these events to mirror your neighborhood Turkey Trot. If you’re looking for flat and fast, that’s not us. The SBER™ Marathon and Heavy Half were designed for maximum enjoyment, which includes trails and some hills. The benefits are unreal: stocked aid stations, unbelievable views, comradery like you’ve never experienced and the true sense of adventure as you experience a whole new side of Santa Barbara.
A Word for the Ultra-marathoners:
This event will challenge you to your core, but experiencing the majestic vistas that await you after a long incline or feeling the ocean breeze while you look over the Pacific Ocean, these are the moments that take your breath away. These are the moments that keep you coming back